Coebergh helps to communicate. Both internally and externally. About organizations, products and people. Our work is often described as 'perception management' or 'reputation management'. Having agreed the desired positioning with the client, we devise and implement an appropriate programme of activities, both in terms of promotion (direct communication with stakeholders) and publicity (editorial media coverage). But this is preceded by another procedure: the development and realization of a vision, a mission and a strategy.

Define your destiny or somebody else will. Jack Welch

Cases

Annexum
Annexum is an established real estate investment company for the private and institutional sector. It offers a broad range of products, including Dutch Microfund, a unique micro finance fund. The company's managed assets in 2008 totalled over EUR 630 million. Coebergh is helping Annexum to position itself as a market player that seizes opportunities and acts as a traditional bank by investing in successful ventures. In addition, we act as a strategic sparring partner by actively devising ways to communicate with investors, even in these difficult times.


TiasNimbas Business School
Ranked # 3 business school in the Benelux, and in the top 10 of Europe (source: Financial Times). Since 2003, Coebergh has been actively engaged in singing the praises of TiasNimbas to managers who are committed to corporate social responsibility. TiasNimbas designs and delivers a range of academic programmes, from tailor-made company-specific programmes to training courses for older managers and innovative projects for technostarters. Coebergh's communication and PR strategy focuses on the substantive qualities of the business school: after all, an academic approach is held in much higher esteem than bold statements. Coebergh meticulously matches general and discipline-specific media - both nationally and internationally - to the innovators of TiasNimbas.

Baggage-handling at Schiphol: from cellar to showcase
The summer of 2000 was a record period for the Dutch tourist industry. But the baggage-handling system at Schiphol Airport was not up to the task. Amsterdam Airport Schiphol and KLM became embroiled in a public argument about who was to blame. Eventually, both sides realized that investment in cooperation and improvements to the baggage-handling system would be the only solution. In 2001, a new manager was appointed to develop a new operational and project organisation. Between 2002 and 2006, Coebergh assisted the team in communicating the new vision, mission and strategy of the organization to all stakeholders: staff, partners (including KLM and other baggage-handlers), passengers (flight delay information on the monitors, service telephones in Departure Lounge 3), other airport departments, suppliers and selected media. During this period, lost or delayed luggage fell by forty per cent, customer and staff satisfaction reached record highs, and the management of both Amsterdam Airport Schiphol and KLM approved an improvement plan which had been developed by the baggage-handling department itself. Begun in 2003, it represents the largest investment programme ever conducted at Schiphol. In late 2005, KLM informed the media that “baggage problem has been resolved.” This case demonstrates that open, intensive and inspirational communication over an apparently unpopular topic can turn a threat into an opportunity.